SDLV VILLA

DESIGN CONCEPT
Contemporary Caribbean House. Casa SDLV is conceptualized as ecological house, used as a rest house, named in reference to the owner's initials; located on the island portion of Isla Mujeres Mexico, flanked by the sea and the lagoon, but was designed to take advantage of benefits provided by the Caribbean with efficient design and contemporary Caribbean character.  The project began as a restoration of an old wooden house in disrepair , where the essence was kept and where the conceptual idea was to create a contemporary housing adapted to the elements of the Caribbean; the efficient use of its resources and aware of their natural environment.
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PRIVILEGED VIEWS
The property is developed in an open and flexible space, with the purpose of organizing the spaces so they can open their visual to the Caribbean Sea. It has the basic architectural housing program maximizing views to the outside.

BIOCLIMATIC DESIGN
Energy – Efficient Concept. The house is designed to cover the needs of comfort with minimum energy expenditure; in a climate where the entire city uses the air conditioning, 365 days a year, this house is designed to reduce consumption. It is a proposal about how to live in the warm Caribbean, with a feeling of being in touch with nature in a cottage style.

LEED GOLD for Homes Certification: Sustainable design minimizing the carbon footprint
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PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN
Photovoltaic system on facades and sloping roofs resulting in optimum protection to reduce solar incidence and self-generation of energy.

RAINWATER REUSE
Capture system of rainwater for reuse in drip irrigation of green areas.

ENDEMIC VEGETATION
Endemic vegetation noninvasive and low-maintenance landscaping, and the minimum use of conventional pastures and wooded conservation and restoration of existing natural areas.

LOW THERMAL EMISSION MATERIALS
The use of certified wood (FSC) and reused as native finishing materials and furniture.

HEAT ISLAND EFFECT MITIGATION
Materials were applied with high solar reflectance index (SRI) to reduce the urban “heat island” effect, getting equally decreased surface temperature, which results in better thermal performance, reducing maintenance and power consumption (air conditioning).

SAVING & ENERGY GENERATION
LED lighting to reduce energy consumption and HVAC systems not harmful to the environment high efficiency. Photovoltaic pergolas are designed to generate much of the energy consumption.

First LEED certified housing in Mexico, for having materials with low thermal emission, permeable pavement, anticyclone windows, use of non-invasive vegetation, use of many recycled materials as well as rainwater harvesting through slabs.

A green building increases the productivity of the occupants, it has been designed for quality living spaces, the required amount of natural light, appropriate noise levels, thermal control, and adequate ventilation, among others. All these aspects are to improve the quality of life and health of users. Moreover a certified building reduces the negative effects that the construction could have on the environment, reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the environment, avoiding damage to the ozone layer and climate change, reduce waste sent to landfills preserving the natural environment, protecting ecosystems and biodiversity.

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